Sharon Dawson is CRI's Deaf Services Coordinator. She is a deaf person who has been involved in the Deaf Community in Sonoma County for the past twenty years as an advocate for accessibility in all areas of life pertaining to the enhancement of integrity within the Deaf Community. Sharon has a Ph.D. in Sociology of Deafness and an M.A. in Special Education for the Deaf. She has served as a job developer for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Case Manager for a Regional Center for persons with Developmental Disabilities, and has been a state credentialed teacher for the Deaf and Hard Hearing.
Sharon works Monday - Wednesday.
Sharon's contact information:
Phone (thru relay) (707) 528-2745 ext. 222 or
TTY: 707-528-2151 or
click here to email Sharon
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Please do not wear scented products to our office |
The Deaf Services Program provides services and advocacy for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing communities in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Lake counties. The program seeks to enhance general community awareness of deaf and hard of hearing issues, such as communication, culture, education, and language. All three CRI offices (Santa Rosa, Napa and Ukiah) have video-conferencing equipment to allow Deaf Services staff to meet with consumers and clients in our branch offices.
CRI's Deaf Services Program provides
- Advocacy to protect and advance the legal rights of deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing children and adults, and adults deafened later in life.
- Communication assistance through document translation, information, and demonstration of assistive devices, referrals to interpreters and/or Computer Aided Real Time (CART) services,
- A Deaf Library containing books and videotapes that can be loaned to the general public. Deaf and hard of hearing accessibility equipment is also available on loan.
- Independent living skills individual and group training and assistance with budgeting, health, family, transportation, education and housing issues.
- Information and referrals to community services and agencies.
- A program featuring monthly social gatherings of Kids of Deaf Adults (KODA) and Children of Deaf Adults (CODA) to encourage the preservation of, and pride in, their Deaf culture and heritage.
- Peer Counseling offering one-on-one counseling for everyday problems and crisis situations.
If you require an interpreter for a CRI appointment, please let Sharon know at least 3 days before your appointment.
"Deaf" vs. "deaf"
Deaf Services provides services to deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and deafened individuals and their families and friends. "deaf" with a lower-case 'd' acknowledges inclusion of these communities. "Deaf" with an upper-case 'D' denotes a specific community that is proud of its uniqueness, has deep cultural roots, and has its own language, American Sign Language. |
